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31 May 2011

From July 1981 the Zakspeed-engineered Capri Turbo was launched onto the German market. It was a strange mixture of the 2.8-litre carburettor-fed Granada engine with a KKK turbocharger, 2.8 injection running gear and X-Pack body panels, and was no doubt designed to cash in on the success of the Zakspeed racers. Only around 200 were built and officially it was only ever available in Germany, through RS dealerships, although at least one has found it's way to the UK.

The previously mentioned KKK-blown Granada V6, blowing through a twin choke Solex carburettor, was probably used because the Capri was now using the injected 2.8, which would have required more work to turbocharge. Power was up to 188bhp and 206lb/ft of torque, so to channel all this turbo urge to Mother Earth, a 4-speed was used from the early 2.8 injection driving into a 3.09:1 LSD.
To keep all this power under control, the suspension was uprated with Bilstein struts, uprated coils, a thicker RS anti-roll bar and modified track control ams, all mounted on a beefier crossmember. Rearwards, Bilsteins again took care of the damping, coupled with 140lb single leaf springs and an axle-tramp-quelling a-frame kept things under control. More RS parts-bin raiding took place for the braking, with an uprated servo, vented 2.8i discs and harder pads; the standard 3.0 rear drums were deemed adequate to the task.

To compliment all of the Zakspeed gymwork underneath, the car was clothed with the tough-looking RS 'Cologne' body kit and now hard-to-find 7.5x13 RS four-spoke alloys. The sum total of all this work was a 137mph top speed and the 0-60 benchmark coming up in 7.7 seconds.

30 May 2011

During the weekend of May 27-29 Spa-Francorchamps hosted for the first time the Spa Classic 2011, a historic meeting organised by the well-known French Peter Auto organisation. As expected the event was much appreciated by both its performers as well as 10.000 enthusiastic spectators.

Spa Classic 2011 hosted no less than seven different races at the 4.352 mile, 21-turn Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, featuring historic GT’s (Sixties Endurance) historic touring cars and GT’s (Asave and Group 1), pre-66 Italian Sports & GTs (Trofeo Nastro Rosso), Prototypes from 1966-1972 and GT’s from 1966-1974 (Classic Endurance Racing 1), Prototypes from 1973-1979 and GT’s from 1973-1975 (Classic Endurance Racing), Sports Cars from the eighties (Group C Racing) and Historic F1, Indy Cars, F3000’s and single seaters from the World Series by Nissan and Renault (BOSS GP).

The E21 Turbo Group 5. The ‘Flying Brick’ was raced by the BMW Junior Team for Works BMW in the German Motor Racing Championship and was an event where the best touring car drivers and team would showcase themselves. There was a total of 28 E21 320i built during 1977 to 1978 and were fitted with the thoroughbred BMW Formula 2 racing engine, a 2-litre in-line four-cylinder unit that packed 300 bhp.

Ferrari 712 CanAm car:

The Whittington brother's (Reg & Bill) 1979 Le Mans winning 935, driven together with Klaus Ludwig, although the latter, a multiple winner at Le Mans and elsewhere, did most of the driving in the heavy rain.